All's Fair in Love and War
by DeadonMonday
Summary: Lily and James could not be more different. Lily is the lonely daughter of a Duke, suffocating under the pressures of a vain mother and sister. James is a the son of a poor farmer and content with his large family, he hardly expects to be thrown into a convoluted plot by a scheming Duchess but one shared glance will soon throw both their lives into chaos. A/U
1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

**A/N: Okeley Dokeley neighboreenos, it's been a while since I wrote a fanfic so you'll have to stick with me. So I know many of you may notice that some of the OC characters have the same first name as the cast of HP, but I'd like to stress that these characters are in NO WAY based on the actors or actresses. I needed to think of English-sounding old names and noticed that the cast had some good ones so it's purely coincidence. Anyway I know this chapter is a tad short but as it's just really introducing the characters I didn't think it needed to be particularly long, I'll work to make the next chapters a little longer. This story was not originally a fanfiction. Originally I intended to write this as a novel and attempt to get it published but then I started working on another book and forgot about this and after a recent conversation with some friends realised it would work great as an A/U James and Lily story. Oh and the rest of the Marauders won't appear for a few chapters yet but never fear they will be important characters in this story. Finally please review I am really looking for feedback of any sort on this story.**

**Extended Synopsis: **

In the Kingdom of Chroans...

Lady Lillian Evans is never what she should be. Raised by her mother, a celebrated court beauty, whilst her sensible father is away at war she is frustated with her mother's and sister's vanity and incessant affairs. Stifled by her mother's endless attempts to mould Lily in her image Lily escapes for regular jaunts on horseback.

James Potter is no one in particular. A village boy in a large family his peaceful life is laid out before him until he catches the eye of a green eyed noble girl. Suddenly his life is tossed into chaos, his family's livelihoods may rely on making one noble girl fall in love with him. If only he wasn't in such danger of falling himself...

**Chapter 1 - Out of Sight, Out of Mind**

"What a beautiful boy." Lady Lillian remarked as she stared through the carriage window. Petunia flicked her own curtain open and frowned in distaste at the general populace of peasants that flooded the village square.

She snickered when she spotted the boy who had caught Lily's attention.

"Is our Lily flower intending to sully her pretty white petals with some course fumbling commoner?"

Lily ignored her sister's jab and turned away from the window. Despite her comment Petunia continued to stare out the window at him, biting her lip and raking her gaze over him.

Their mother leaned past Petunia to get a look. She clucked her tongue.

"How _can_ you tell Lily? I don't think I've ever seen a man so covered in mud, he must roll in it with the pigs." She tittered spitefully and Petunia smirked in vindication. Lily turned back to stare at the tall, striking boy, she rather thought the mud that stuck to his arms and face highlighted the pleasant gold colour of his skin and the powerful, elegant lines of his body. His dark hazel eyes were arresting and were currently fixed almost aggressively on her.

"Still," her mother continued, "if you think he's handsome Lily…" She turned and rapped on the roof.

"Reginald!" She called.

Their thin, blonde footman opened the door.

"Yes, your grace?"

"When we get back I want you to take a carriage, come back and fetch that peasant over there," she pointed over his shoulder at the handsome boy, "bring him back to the castle and have him cleaned up, when you've done that let me know."

"As you wish, your grace." The footman said with a look of obvious distaste as he stared at the boy.

Her mother settled back into her seat with a serene smile of satisfaction. Lily just felt vaguely disappointed, she wondered idly if the boy would still be attractive once her mother had frocked him up and transformed him into one of her and Petunia's vacant-eyed, grasping attendants. Somehow she highly doubted it. She let the curtain fall shut as the carriage lurched into movement again, breaking the boy's unnerving stare.

James stood in the town square with his family. Life had returned to normal in the aftermath of the brief visit from the nobility. His father Richard, who had smacked James over the back of the head for staring at the pretty, green-eyed girl in the carriage, was holding his first grandchild. The stout little infant was the son of James's eldest sister Emma and her husband Rupert. He stared over at James with solemn brown eyes, his expression already taking on a likeness to that of his stern grandfather.

"You look distracted," Emma commented from beside him, "thinking of your noble-blooded future wife?"

"What?"

Emma laughed, "I saw you yesterday, staring moon-eyed through that carriage window, planning to ask the Duke for his daughter's hand are you?" She teased, but her expression soon grew thoughtful, which was worse.

"When are you going to ask her James? Most of the boys your age are married by now, she's not going to wait forever."

"Natalia hasn't shown the remotest interest in being married yet, and we are betrothed. If she intends to throw me over for another she'll give me due notice." Natalia was a pretty girl, one of the prettiest in the village in fact, and her father was a good friend of James's father. They had been born on the same day and the village had considered it a sign for an auspicious betrothal.

Emma gave him a bemused look at his unromantic response and went back to cooing over baby Daniel with the others.

James was staring idly over at the western side of the village so he was the first to see the black carriage crawling down the far hill like a little black beetle. Caught by surprise he just stared at it as it edged closer along the road. Eventually others began to notice as well and gathered around to watch its' progress, conversation swelled around him in amazement that another carriage should be coming through in as many days. Their village, Hogsmeade, was not in any way notable, and the road only led to one noble estate two days journey on the western side of the village and another estate a full week's journey on the other side so it was rare for the wealthy or noble to ever bother passing through the tiny farming village. By the time the carriage finally trundled into the village square the entire village was there and had fallen silent. A thin man in a ridiculous blue and pink striped outfit stepped out of the carriage, he scanned the crowd before his eyes alighted on James.

"You, there! What is your name?"

James's heart stuttered, was he in trouble for looking at the noble girl? Surely there was no law against that; he had only looked for a few scant minutes.

"James Potter, ah… sir." He wasn't entirely sure that was the correct way to address the foppish little man but the man didn't comment just took a deep breath and recited out.

"James Potter your services have been enlisted by her Grace, the noble Duchess Elizabeth Evans, you will serve her until given further instructions, your family will receive compensation for the loss of their son. You may take a few minutes to gather your things and bid goodbye to your family members and then I, Ronald Hughes, will escort you back to the Evans estate, Hedwig's Place."

There was a gasp from the crowd surrounding him. James said nothing, felt as if a hole had been punched in his chest, his entire future thrown away in a few words from a ridiculous little man. Everyone was silent for a minute, everyone knew him, everyone was shocked. James felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder, he looked up into his father's face. He could see rage growing there but also a terrible confliction. James understood, Richard had four other children to worry about. His mother gasped and threw her arms around him, James could feel her crying as he held still in her grasp.

"I've got to get my things." He mumbled as he broke away from her grasp.

He didn't have much he wanted to take; a couple pairs of clothes, his pocketknife and the little charm his mother had made for him were all shoved into a sack within a few minutes as his family stood quietly in the doorway. His little sister Evanna was crying, his little brother Oliver was trying hard not to and his older sister Katie was hugging Emma.

He hugged Evanna first and dried her tears.

"Hey princess, no tears you're going to be a big girl soon." The thought that he might miss out on her growing up sent a hollow shaft of pain through his chest but he squashed it, he'd find a way to get out of this and return to his family somehow. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the little horse he'd carved for her and had planned to give to her on her next birthday.

He hugged Oliver next and pretended he didn't notice when he wiped away a tear.

"I'll be home soon Olly, until then you take care of the family alright? You can have my old toys too."

Oliver nodded against his chest and drew back. Katie threw herself into his arms.

"They can't do this James, they can't just take you away, it's not right!" Her voice was tight with anger.

"I know Kat, I know." He squeezed her tight and then set her away. "Give Tom an earful from me if he's not treating you right will you?"

Katie choked out a laugh and nodded.

Emma was last before his parents and she stared at him with steely determination.

"You come back to us James, I don't care how but my son will know you." James nodded in silent promise and leant down to kiss Daniel's head.

His mother pulled him in again, still silently weeping.

"This might be good for you," she said wiping away her tears with an effort, "they could teach you to be a squire or a lawman and you could have a nice place in the estate." She made an effort to smile but it set off another round of tears.

"I know mum, I'll try to make something of myself."

His father gently pulled him out of his mother's arms to give him a stiff armed embrace.

"You don't let these nobles push you around, you hear? You're a good, strong, honourable boy and you've got nothing to be ashamed of being low born."

He went across the room and pulled a kitchen cabinet open and yanked out a tin.

"Here," he said as he crossed back to James and pulled out his hand, he shook the tin until three silver coins rolled into James's palm. James had never imagined his parents had managed to save so much.

"No dad, I can't –" he was about to say he'd everything he needed living on the estate but then he looked up into his father's guilt-ridden eyes.

"Take it," his father pleaded. James nodded quietly.

"Ah-hem." The foppish Reginald cleared his throat from the doorway and was met with several hostile stares; he seemed to take offence at them because he puffed up like a peacock.

"It is time to leave," he announced tartly, "her Grace does not take kindly to having to wait on commoners."

James's father's jaw clenched hard but James nodded, he wouldn't make any trouble for his family's sake.

After one last embrace from everyone he walked out of the house. Outside the rest of the village waited quietly, watching him sadly. His eyes caught Natalia's, she looked lost, her eyes shining. He crossed to her and grasped both her hands.

"I'm sorry Natalia," he said quietly, "you'll find a good husband, I know it, you're the prettiest girl in the village."

She nodded and bit her lip.

"Look after yourself won't you James? I'll miss you."

He nodded silently, gave her hands a squeeze and a quick kiss on the lips before he turned and climbed into the carriage, he waved goodbye as it began to move but refused to look back. His throat was tight and he wouldn't give the snobbish little Reginald a chance to see him cry.

The journey to the estate was unremarkable, the time passed with glacial slowness for James who had never had to sit still for such a long period of time and longed to get out and stretch his legs or ride one of the horses.

When they finally came out of the woods and onto estate grounds it was all James could do to keep his jaw from dropping. It was enormous, larger than James had imagined the King's palace could be. The estate stretched over miles and everywhere perfectly groomed horses grazed and swans waddled, he even caught sight of a magnificent bird he thought might be a peacock though he'd never seen one in real life. The manor itself sprawled over the land in a great, square U shape, a hundred windows seemed to stare down at him as the carriage rolled into the centre of the U. Servants pulled open the carriage doors and more servants began unhitching the horses, this cavernous place seemed to have an endless supply of black-garbed servants. James felt lost before he'd even stepped out of the carriage. He followed Reginald up the stairs; a tall servant greeted them at the door.

"Henry, this is James Potter, the boy her Grace wanted. Have him cleaned up won't you? I have to refresh myself and inform her Grace I have returned." Henry nodded and stepped away to let Reginald past.

"James was it? I'm Henry, I'm head Butler here at Hedwig Place. If you have any issues you should ask me." He snapped his fingers at a maid standing against a wall.

"Mary, have a bath drawn in one of the servant's bathing chambers." Mary rushed off to obey him.

"Do you have anything suitable to wear?"

"Probably not." James answered, his other clothes were fairly similar to the ones he had on.

"Do you have any idea what work you'll be doing for her Grace?"

James shrugged. "Not a clue."

Henry's lips thinned in indecision for a moment.

"Some of the groomsmen's clothes should do then until she's decided what's to be done with you."

He looked James up and down and seemed to take his measure in that one look.

"You're quite tall but Jeffrey's might fit you."

"Shall I fetch a set of Jeffrey's then?" A servant James hadn't seen come up behind him asked.

Henry nodded.

"Bring them to the bathing chambers when you have." He looked at James, "follow me, you need a good scrub before you'll be presentable for her Grace."


	2. The Devil's Due

**A/N: Alrighty roo, so I probably won't usually post long chapters this quick normally but it's waaay too hot to move further than my bed to the fridge to the couch so I had a lot of free time on my hands. So yay here's chapter two, the result of living, as far as I'm concerned, on the surface of the sun. Oh and thank you to my two lovely reviewers, you were so encouraging.**

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**Chapter 2 – The Devil's Due**

Lily stood passively before her mother as she received another of her mother's 'talks', Petunia sat in the corner, giggling as she shooed away the footman who'd been playing a game of slyly rubbing his fingers over her leg under the small table. She straightened up as the footman retreated, her eyes gleaming in anticipation, always the eager audience to Lily's embarrassment.

Lily's mother sighed as she stared at Lily over her teacup.

"I don't know what's to be done with you Lily. I just can't understand this lack of interest in the proper manner of ladies, why when I was your age I played at court with a dozen of my attendants." Lily had long ago accepted the fact that she and her mother were very different people. What her mother called 'the proper manner of ladies' Lily would've referred to as adultery, but her mother had always been that way. A celebrated court beauty Lady Elizabeth Rose had been the toast of civilised society until rumours had started that she was indecent with the servants. It had culminated with her being caught tarrying with a dandy, the son of a knight, he had refused to marry her and Elizabeth had been ruined. Lily's father, Duke Harrold Evans had agreed to marry her and save her from disgrace, having been charmed by the much younger beauty during his time at court. Elizabeth had agreed but the experience had scarred her and left her bitter about the situation she had been forced into. Lily's parents marriage was filled with bitterness and regret.

"It's not natural Lily, how can you expect to attract a good husband if you don't practise your charms on the boys around you? Why if you'd had more practise you might've been able to catch Wallace's eye, wouldn't that be lovely?"

Petunia laughed mockingly from the corner.

"As if anyone would marry frigid Lily."

Her mother ignored Petunia's comment as Lily's face heated up, she wouldn't respond, it would only make things so much worse.

"If only you weren't so very plain, Lily." Her mother sighed in regret as she raked her gaze over her daughter's features. Lily felt her stomach sink into the floorboards. She focused her attention on a brass button on her mother's chair. She imagined, as she always did when listening to her mother and sister became to painful, that she was outside, anywhere else, riding her horse so fast that everything ceased to exist but the wind in her face and the sound of her heart beating in time to the thrum of her horses hooves. She would go for a ride tonight, all the way to the beach, not return until night just for the heck of it.

"Maybe you should be sent away to school. I'm sure the girls there could teach you some manners." Her mother continued at last.

Lily felt a chill of fear although this was a familiar threat. She had spent one year away at boarding school and to date it had been the worst year of her life. Lily, who had never been comfortable with any strangers, had been lost in a sea of girls who thought of nothing but boys and fashion and who had sneered down at her country-bred manners and bookish sensibilities. They had played cruel pranks when the teachers back's had been turned, culminating with leaving the collection of watercolour paintings she had painstakingly worked on all year out in the rain, stolen and strewn over the courtyard while she slept. Lily clenched her hands and reminded herself that her father had forbidden Elizabeth from sending her away again. Her father had missed her as much as she missed him.

"Lillian, are you listening to me?" Her mother snapped. "How can-", her mother's diatribe was caught short by a soft rap at the door.

Reginald poked his head through the door and her mother's expression brightened, Lily momentarily forgotten.

"May I leave now?" Lily asked, her mother's glower returned.

"You may, but there will be no riding this week," her tone sharpened cuttingly. "I've already informed the groomsmen. I'm sure you're aware Lily of what they say about girls who spend more time with their horses than they do with men." Lily gritted her teeth at the last humiliation, refusing to answer it as her sister laughed and her mother beckoned Reginald closer. She turned and left without a word.

Elizabeth watched her daughter retreat from the room with dissatisfaction. There was too much of her father in her and for that a little part of Elizabeth resented her, but there was time still for Lily to follow in Petunia's footsteps. Elizabeth felt a little thrill as she imagined Harrold's face if he were to come home and discover she had turned both his daughters against him. Elizabeth turned her attention to Reginald as he entered. Jackson followed close behind, always careful not to let Reginald soak up too much of her attention.

"My darling Duchess, do my eyes deceive me or has your beauty become even more blinding in my absence?" Reginald knelt by her chair and kissed her hand.

"Your eyes do deceive you, oaf, her Grace's beauty is infinite, thus for it to increase would require less than perfection in every manner."

Elizabeth tittered delicately as she leaned close to run a finger down the side of Reginald's face, her eyes on Jackson as she did it, watching, craving that moment of seething jealousy. She was not disappointed; Jackson stared down at them with a look of abject hatred. She laughed breathily again and licked her lips, leaning back to observe them both.

"What of the boy I had you fetch, Reginald? Can I see him yet?"

"I had the servants prepare him for you, he should be ready any minute."

"Who is this your Grace, a replacement? Have you grown tired of us already, please if you would send me away kill me first for I would die rather than be parted from you." Jackson professed melodramatically although there was an edge of steel hidden beneath his theatrics.

"Jackson, darling, as if I could replace you." She let here eyes wonder over his lovely form as he edged closer before pushing him back with a finger. "No, this is a peasant boy for Lily to practise her charms on."

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of said peasant boy. Elizabeth waved at Reginald to get the door, eagerly anticipating seeing the boy cleaned up for the first time. She was not disappointed.

"Oh my, Lily does have a good eye for beauty." She was distracted by a choking sound from behind and turned, finally remembering that Petunia had not yet left the room, no doubt absorbed in her own attendant. She was staring bug-eyed at the boy. Pet, darling that she was, had never been the brightest of children although Elizabeth could hardly blame her for staring. Now that the mud had been scrubbed off him Elizabeth could see he was golden skinned and whilst he had seemed of fairly average build from their perch in the carriage up close he was an intimidating specimen indeed. His hazel eyes were glued on her, and although his face was an expressionless mask she would see the hatred behind those eyes. She found it quite titillating.

"What's your name, commoner?"

"James Potter, your Grace." He said her title as if it was being pulled from him with pliers.

"How old are you?"

"Eighteen, your Grace."

"Only two years older than Lily and you're so tall," she tapped her fan against her lips as she considered him, "do you know your height?"

"Six feet and three inches last I checked, your Grace."

"And so strong, the farming life has been very good for you." She giggled charmingly but the boy did not respond except to clench his jaw.

Annoyed she pursed her lips.

"Your not giving him to Lily are you?" Petunia's shocked voice came from behind her. Elizabeth sighed growing weary with Petunia as well.

"It's time your sister had attendants, Pet, that's the end of it." She said, turning to glower at her daughter, but Pet missed it entirely she was staring at the boy with not a little desire.

"Lily wouldn't have the first clue what to do with him mother. She's a complete prude. Give him to me."

"Quiet, Petunia! Go and play with Roger, you're boring me." Elizabeth snapped. Petunia huffed with indignation but left, pausing briefly on the way out to trail her arm down the boy's arm and cast him an alluring smile. When Petunia shut the door behind herself Elizabeth turned back to the boy. She was done with playing games, now she wanted to be obeyed.

"You will serve as my daughter, Lillian's, manservant, you will attend her during all her waking hours and do exactly as she tells you, do you understand?"

"Yes, your Grace."

"You will anticipate her every need and endeavour to please and charm her in every way, do you understand?"

"Yes, your Grace."

She gave him a penetrating look. "But do you really understand what I'm asking you to do?"

His gaze drifted to the chairs behind her and she could see in his gaze that he was remembering seeing Petunia no doubt getting fondled by her footman.

"You want me to seduce your daughter." There was no inflection in his tone but she could hear the accusation there, she chose to ignore it.

"Yes." She hissed, "I will not have a prudish little social pariah of a daughter. She wallows in her ignorance and looks down her nose at me but when she goes to court they will tear her apart like wolves to a lamb." She leaned back in her chair letting her gaze rest dispassionately on the boy. "Better sooner than later then. Have you been with a woman before?"

The boy ground his jaw and for just a moment let his expressionless mask drop to reveal the burning hatred there but finally he gritted out an affirmative.

"Good, a pretty boy like you shouldn't have too much trouble then. I would hate to have to reconsider the compensation money I am sending to your family. You may leave, you will report to me at the end of each week how you progress with my daughter, once you succeed in seducing her I will give you a generous bonus and allow you to return to your family. You may leave now."

He turned and strode out of the room without another word.

James felt like he had swallowed hot coals. Swallowing back his anger through that one conversation had been one of the hardest things he'd had to do in his life so far. First he had been an examined like a cow the Duchess intended to buy whilst her daughter was being openly groped behind her. Then the daughter asks to have him, like he was some trinket her mother could buy for her. But no, ofcourse not, he had been bought and whored for the Duchess's youngest daughter. God that one had been a slap in his face and certainly a wound to his pride. He was by no means a virgin, after Anna had made it clear she intended to have lovers he had made no effort to stay faithful to their betrothal but he had always been careful with the girls he had taken. None had been virgins and they had all known what to expect – sex, a good time and nothing else. There was a small part of James that was horrified at what he intended to do now but he squashed that part of himself down until he could think past it, his family needed him so he would do what he had to do. He seethed over the humiliation of being whored out though, and by a woman who he had already decided to be a vulture. What sort of woman paid a man to ruin her daughter? By the time Henry directed him to the door to Lady Lillian's bedchamber he'd worked himself into a proper fury. He strode down the hall and yanked the door open without thinking.

Lady Lillian was halfway out her window, the skirt of her nightgown hiked up her shapely calves, her hands wrapped tightly around the rope of bed sheets secured to her bedpost. They stared at each other in total surprise for a long second before Lady Lillian's face began to grow flushed. James thought it was in embarrassment until she clambered back into the room and he got a better look at her expression, she was livid.

"What the hell are you thinking bursting into my room this way, what if I'd been undressed? What if I'd been in the middle of my bath? What are you doing in my room anyway you pervert you're my _mother's_ servant." James was stunned by the beautiful little vixen. With her hair spilling around her shoulders in tousled red curls and her green eyes flashing with fire she reminded him of a painting he'd seen of the goddess Diana on the hunt. When he recovered his senses enough to realise what she'd said felt his anger, which had been smoldering from his conversation with the Duchess ignite at her accusation, as if he had any need to spy on women bathing.

"You mean why didn't I knock so you could finish your little adventure out the window and probably break your very expensive little neck?" He sneered. "Your mother has ordered me to spend every waking moment with you so even if you had been bathing I'd still have been following orders, and hell for all I know you leave your door unlocked for that very reason."

Lady Lillian slapped him, hard. "Get out!" She shrieked, shoving at him, he was just shocked enough that he stumbled back out the doorway. "I don't need one of my mother's slaves playing peeping tom while I'm bathing," she hissed, "shockingly I have actually mastered bathing on my own." And with that she promptly slammed the door in his face.

James stood for a full minute staring in dumb disbelief at the wooden door less than an inch from his face. That certainly hadn't gone as he'd expected. He couldn't believe she'd slapped him. Although he'd deserved it, if his father had heard him talk to a lady like that he'd have cuffed him a good one, he'd have to think up a good apology tomorrow, if he wasn't fired by then. In his defence he had been suffering from the residual anger of having to deal with her mother, that and getting dumbstruck by the vision he'd encountered had rendered him a bit stupid. Bloody hell that wasn't an image he'd be forgetting soon. At least it'd make bedding her easier, he thought to himself and then felt a sharp tug in the depths of his guts that could've been either guilt or regret. Lady Lillian was precisely the type of girl he might've dreamed of marrying if not for the betrothal with Anna. Full of fire, wickedly witty and not a bit beautiful in the village she probably would've had him wrapped around her finger in five minutes flat, but losing everything had a way of changing a man, he reminded himself. He couldn't afford to think of her as any more than a way to ensure his family's wellbeing. He would leave her to cool off for the rest of the night and begin charming her tomorrow, with luck he would be back with his family within a week.

"Bastard." Lily muttered vindictively at the closed door. There would be no chance of getting out of her room tonight, the boy had no doubt alerted her mother or the guards about her attempt. She settled back into her bed and closed her eyes. She immediately saw the boy's handsome, smug face staring down at her. She growled and turned over, why had her mother taken him? She bemoaned the situation quietly. Her mother already had dozens of attendants why did she have to pick up some no name village boy? A village boy that made Lily flustered in a way she'd never really been. Before he'd spoken he'd given her a look that had made her feel like something wild and heated had been trying to escape deep in her belly.

"No, no, no." She moaned quietly into her pillow. She wouldn't be like Petunia and her mother, she couldn't be, but it felt inevitable like a genetic disease her mother had passed on, she would eventually become wanton and shameless, bitter at the world because she embarrassed her father and was rejected by society. The fear was a hard ache in her throat. It was times like these she wished she had friends but she didn't. She was alone and afraid and the only person who cared was on the other side of the country risking his life. Eventually sleep came. When her maid bustled in that morning to open the curtains she dug her head into her pillow. A day with no riding and all the same fears looming over her head seemed too much. But she wasn't the type of person to let herself lie in bed all day so she rose and determined to at least go and check on her horses, even if she couldn't ride them she could at least see them and check with the stable master about their well being.

After getting dressed and stealing a roll from the kitchen for her breakfast she headed across the wide courtyard to the famous Evans stables. She met the stable master, Tomas outside.  
"Good morning Tomas." She smiled at him and he grinned fondly back, she had always gotten along well with the stable master. "How are the horses this morning, don't worry I already know I can't go riding."

"Terrible news that," Tomas murmured ruefully, rubbing his hand over his salt and pepper whiskers, "seems a crime to keep such a fine rider off a horse. If you'd been born a boy you'd be famous by now." He sighed and shrugged. "Horses are doing fine, we've been thinking about breeding Moontrimmer in the next year."

"With Firebolt? Sounds like a good plan, schedule them in."

"I've got some damn fine news too. We finally found a decent trainer, he's never worked in a stable of this size but he's definitely got a way with the animals, real nice and steady he is. He was up on Nimbus afore I could even tell him that was a daft idea, and whata you know, damn horse took to him like a house on fire."

Lily raised her eyebrows in surprise, _no one_ rode Nimbus. The yearling was of fine stock, they were already planning for him to be the next stud stallion but he'd come from a complete imbecile of a merchant who'd treated him all wrong, it'd left him half wild and completely unpredictable. Lily had been slowly coaxing him into trusting her but they'd still been miles off of being ridden.

"That's him now." Tomas jerked his chin at a figure astride her favourite horse, Thestral. Thestral came from Arabian stock, she was dappled a pale grey that made her coat look silver in strong light and she hade a black mane and tail. She was delicate, flighty, temperamental and down-right dangerous to the wrong rider but when Lily rode her it was like they were one creature outrunning the world.

Lily squinted against the sun as the horse and rider drew closer.

"No. No, no, no."

The boy dismounted with a cocky grin.

"What are you doing on my horse? You can't be serious Tomas," she said turning to the stable master, "he's a peasant boy, one of my mother's new fawning attendants, he wouldn't know the first thing about horses."

"Actually," the boy interrupted, "as I told you last night your mother has given me into your service so I'm your attendant not your mother's and as you made it quite clear last night that you don't want or need my help I thought I'd find somewhere that did. Despite your apprehension I actually have extensive experience with horses. In my town I was helping my father train our plough horses before I could speak and when he realised I had a talent for it he sent me across to the local stables to train the horses there."

Lily wasn't sure how to reply to that and it was hard to think with those gleaming hazel eyes roving hungrily over her face, she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"Look Lady Evans," he lowered his tone to a pleasing rumble like he was talking to a spooked horse, "I wanted to apologise for my behaviour last night. I was completely out of line, you were entirely right to slap me. I'm sure you won't understand this but my life has been completely turned upside down in the last few days, I have no friends or family for miles around and I was looking for someone to blame. Will you forgive me?" He stared at her with dark, steady eyes. God, how could she say no after that speech? It would be like kicking a puppy dog.

"I suppose I may have spoke a tad rashly myself," she said stiffly, "Why don't we start afresh?"

"Good," he grinned and the way it lit up his face left her slightly breathless as he stretched out his hand. "I'm James Potter."

She shook his hand firmly, glad he hadn't tried to kiss hers. "You can call me Lily if you'd like, most of the staff in the stables do." She finally remembered something that had been bugging her.

"My mother told you to answer to me?" He nodded in reply.

"But why? Mother's never given me a personal servant before."

"Ah," James paused and looked like he was internally debating something, finally he shrugged. "From what she implied I have a feeling that I'm suppose to charm you. Help you talk to men, that sort of thing."

"Oh god," Lily muttered, sinking down on a wooden stool in mortification. "That is so embarrassing like I'm some bumbling idiot who can't string a sentence together with the opposite sex." James earned some serious points in her head just for not laughing at her in that moment.

"If it helps you seem entirely capable of stringing together sentences in my presence." He noted dryly. She glared up at him, although her lips twitched.

"That's because you annoy me most of the time." She sighed. "This is so stupid, it's all because she thinks I failed at 'winning' Wallace Crabbe; let me tell you something Wallace isn't exactly a prize. He picks his nose in public and spent half of the meals talking about his gastric indigestion and the other half talking about the history of tax collection in the West of Chroan."

James chuckled and Lily glanced up in surprise.

"Such a shame he didn't fall victim to your charms." She laughed at that too and surprised herself; it felt like so long since she'd laughed with someone else.

"Look Lily, it's not exactly been my dream to teach girls how to charm men they aren't the least bit interested in but I don't know anyone here and if your mother doesn't see me hanging around you she's likely to stop sending money to my family. So here's a suggestion, why don't we try and be friends? I'm sure you have better things to do than befriend some peasant boy but I'm good with horses, I can read and make decent conversation and best of all your mother will probably pester you less if you're spending most of your free time with me."

Lily considered it, he presented a solid argument but that wasn't what made her agree. For once in her life she wanted a friend, someone she could talk to about her family and her dreams and ideas. She'd seen the girls at her school that had had that and though she'd had no interest in being friends with any of those hateful girls she'd envied what they'd had – friendship, acceptance and someone to talk to. She smiled up at him.

"Mr Potter, you have yourself a deal."

"Good," he grinned and clapped his hands together, "now what do you say we take these pretty ponies for a ride, it's a beautiful day. We can pack a picnic and you can show me all the best spots around."

Lily's smile dropped. "My mother has forbidden me to go riding today."

"Oh? Even if you were say, practising a romantic ride with your pretend suitor?" He asked, his eyes wide and innocent but a sly grin creeping over his face.

"Of course! Oh what a hardship it must be for you James, being so wildly in love with me and all." They both laughed.

"Such a shame I forgot the roses and champagne, what a lax suitor I'm becoming." After he finished laughing he gestured towards the house. "Do you need to get changed or are you good wearing that?"

"Um," Lily bit her lip, not sure if she should tell him but it eventually spilled out. "I generally ride in pants." James' eyebrows went high at that.

"Well by all means don't change your habits on my account, I'll pack some food and get Comet out while you get changed."

She grinned in delight and rushed off back to the house.

James let his smile drop as he watched her race back to the house. He was such a prick. It had been so easy to play on the loneliness haunting her expression, to present himself as the perfect, trustworthy friend until she let her guard down. He let himself wallow in self-hatred for a minute before shoving it down with the cruel thought of his father working himself to the bone without a son old enough to help him with the ploughing. He had to get home before then.

So he saddled up Comet and went in search of a picnic basket and food. He was rummaging through a cupboard when something hard smacked him over the back of the head.

"No!" James looked behind him to see a shaggy, and whiskery, looking middle-aged woman glaring at him. "No! Bad boy!" She hissed.

"Relax lady, I'm taking Lady Lillian out for a ride, we just need some food to take with us."

"No, no, no! I do not allow sill-ee boys to take food from my kitchen." She sneered through a heavy accent.

"But-" James started to protest but was interrupted by her whacking him over the head again with her frying pan.

"Will you stop that?!" He shouted, ducking away as she tried to hit him again, her eyes aglow, clearly enjoying this game. She ran at him with both arms stretched over her head to bring the pan crashing down when someone yelled from the doorway.

"Mrs Norris! Wait! Wait! He's with me!"

Mrs Norris turned to glare at Lily where she stood in the doorway.

"No, not letting 'im steal from my kitchen, you brat can go and find somewhere else to go."

"Oh really?" Lily's eyes sparkled dangerously, "maybe I'll go to my mother than, tell her about that time I found you in the garden shed with the Houseman, Filch." The woman's grizzly mouth thinned as she glared resentfully at the redheaded minx. She thumped the frying pan down on a table. "I am sick to death of you, hateful child. Take what you want, I am done!" She snarled and stomped out of the room.

"Sorry," Lily laughed, "I should've warned you about Mrs Norris, she's an amazing cook but has the temperament of a half-killed badger."

James laughed too but lost his breath when he saw what she was wearing, the pants were made of soft leather that moulded perfectly to every sculpted curve of her legs. She blushed seeing where he was looking.

"I use to always where dresses but I'd go into the woods and they'd always get tangled and torn, so I started wearing pants when I was home. It's totally inappropriate but no one ever sees me but the stable hands and they've all known me since birth." She paused for a moment and waited for him to say something, which he didn't, he was much too busy ogling her thighs. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "I'll go change."

"No," he caught her arm and forced a smile. "Don't change, it was just a surprise that's all. There's nothing wrong with it, more girls should ride in pants it's a very sensible idea."

"That's what I've always thought," she agreed, "it's much easier to ride freely when you don't have to be watching two feet on either side of you to make sure your dress doesn't get tangled."

James nodded as he propped open the basket he'd found in the pantry and opened an oven to find an apple pie just beginning to cool.

"It's like side saddles," he said as he began to pack the basket, "those things look like death traps, I'd never let one of my sisters go riding in one."

"Oh god no, I hate it when I have to ride side saddle, I'm always afraid of what would happen if the horse bolted and there you are stuck on the horse because the stupid saddle isn't built to let you get thrown."

James nodded and added a loaf of bread and cutlery before shutting the basket.

"Alright let's get going."

The ride was surprisingly enjoyable when James could take his eyes of Lily's ass when she got ahead of him. She was a master in the saddle, jumping old fences like they were nothing more than a bump in the landscape, whilst Comet balked at nearly every one and had to be coaxed into jumping it, though the gelding was a good three hands taller than Lily's little mare.

"How long is this ride going to take?" James yelled two hours later. Lily glanced back at him with a mocking grin.

"Tiring already? Poor James, I really do need to be more considerate to such an old man."

He laughed, "Wicked imp, I'm only two years older than you."

She laughed, "It's only a couple more minutes, but it's the best place for miles around."

As they ascended a sharp slope he could hear a strange sound, a dull roar that he couldn't for the life of him place.

They mounted the rise and he lost his breath. As far as the eye could see sparkling blue water stretched into the horizon, it was alive, seething near the shore and rising in great frothing waves.

"Isn't it beautiful? The view is fantastic from up here." Lily said, dismounting and walking a little closer to the edge of the sharp cliff that dropped down into the water.

"This is the ocean." James murmured in wonderment.

"You've never seen the ocean?" Lily asked in surprise and he shook his head mutely. They chatted idly as he unpacked a picnic blanket and their lunch and James was caught between staring at the vast blue ocean and staring at Lily, her hair coming undone in the sharp ocean breeze.

"So you mentioned that you had sisters." Lily said as they devoured the last of the apple pie. "How many do you have? What's your family like?"

"I have three sisters and one brother. They are ordinary I suppose, all farmers. What about you, I met your mother and your sister Petunia, is she your only sibling?"

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Unfortunately yes."

James needed no explanation for the unfortunately, he couldn't imagine the two getting along they were polar opposites.

"What about your father? Where's he?"

Lily sighed and her expression grew forlorn, it made him want to kiss her until he'd chased that look out of her eyes. She picked at a thread on the picnic blanket.

"He's away in Main, helping the King with his battle against the threat of the Erades."

"Ahh." James sighed, the war had with Erade had been going on for the last three years and wasn't showing any signs of ending soon. His father had been glad neither of his sons had been old enough to be enlisted. His father had injured his hand ploughing several years earlier and so had been overlooked by the officers.

They were fairly quiet after that though it wasn't an uncomfortable silence, it was just neither of them felt any reason to say anything. They packed up an hour later and set off back. By the time they got home it was late afternoon. James dismounted and plucked Lily out of the saddle before she could dismount herself. He let his hands rest on her waist for a long moment after she was on her feet.

"I'd better go in," she murmured, blushing slightly under his gaze. Entranced, he raised a hand and skimmed it over the top of her prettily rosy cheek, he tucked an errant curl behind her ear. So easy, he wondered, it'd be so easy just to lean down and press his mouth to those plush pink lips. There was even a slight chance that she might not slap him, after all she'd liked him well enough today. He brushed his fingers under her chin and eased it up a fraction, contemplating those very lips. If he kissed her and she liked it, he'd be one step closer to seducing her; he'd be one step closer to ruining her. His eyes snapped up at that moment and he caught the confusion in her expression and below that the desire. Feeling sick he stepped back and strode away without another word.

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**A/N: Okay how was that? Reviews people, I am not above holding chapters hostage, also the first person to correctly guess what's special about my country Chroans and it's capital city Main will get a special bonus, just because I feel like stroking my own ego. That sentence sounded a tad dirty for some reason, that was not intentional.**


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